Chapter 3 - What Rosa Remembered
Norah reached Rosa before she fell.
Gabriel stood motionless.
Rosa's knees had buckled after the confession, and Norah caught her around the waist.
“Help me.”
Gabriel reacted instantly.
Together they carried Rosa back to her bedroom.
Her blood pressure had dropped.
Her pulse was erratic.
Norah checked her carefully while Gabriel paced.
“You need to stop doing that.”
He turned.
“Doing what?”
“Walking around like you're about to explode.”
“My mother just said—”
“I heard her.”
Norah adjusted the blood-pressure cuff.
“And right now she's medically unstable.”
Gabriel looked toward the bed.
The anger disappeared.
That was the thing about him Norah was beginning to understand.
Every emotion in Gabriel eventually became fear when it involved Rosa.
Rosa slept for nearly five hours.
Gabriel never left.
Neither did Norah.
At some point he brought her coffee.
No assistant.
No silver tray.
Gabriel himself placed the mug beside her.
“Thanks.”
He sat across from her.
For several minutes they watched Rosa breathe.
“What if she remembers?”
Norah knew exactly what he meant.
“What if she tells me what happened?”
“Then you listen.”
“And if what she says is terrible?”
“Then it's terrible.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“You make everything sound simple.”
“No. I make the next step simple. That's different.”
His eyes lingered on her.
Something had changed between them over the previous month.
The suspicion remained.
So did the arguments.
But underneath both existed trust.
Fragile.
Unexpected.
Real.
Rosa woke shortly after noon.
This time she recognized them both.
Gabriel moved closer.
Norah raised one finger.
“No pressure.”
He nodded.
“Ma?”
Rosa smiled.
“You're here.”
“Always.”
Her gaze shifted to Norah.
“You too.”
“Unfortunately,” Norah said.
Rosa laughed weakly.
Gabriel stared at Norah.
“My nurse is rude.”
“Your nurse is exhausted.”
Rosa squeezed Norah's fingers.
“You should marry someone rich.”
Norah laughed.
“I tried marriage once.”
“Then marry someone richer.”
Gabriel coughed.
Norah looked at him.
“Don't.”
For several precious minutes, Rosa seemed almost herself.
Then Gabriel placed the old photograph on the blanket.
Rosa stopped smiling.
Norah watched carefully.
“Do you recognize this?”
Rosa touched the image.
“Matteo.”
Gabriel leaned closer.
“My uncle.”
“My sweet Matteo.”
“Why did you hide me with him?”
Rosa's eyes filled with tears.
“Because your father was sick.”
“Sick how?”
She looked toward the window.
“Afraid.”
“Of Matteo?”
“Of everyone.”
Gabriel swallowed.
“What happened to me?”
Rosa touched his face.
“I was trying to take you away.”
Norah saw Gabriel tense.
Rosa continued.
“You were crying. You wanted your father. I told you we were going on a trip.”
Her voice became distant.
“We drove through the rain.”
Gabriel stared.
“You remember this?”
Rosa nodded.
“You wouldn't stop asking questions.”
A faint smile.
“You always asked questions.”
Norah watched mother and son.
Then Rosa's smile vanished.
“The car slid.”
Gabriel's breathing changed.
“We crashed?”
Rosa nodded.
“You hit your head.”
“So when you said you hurt me—”
“I was driving.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“You didn't hurt me.”
“I took you away from your father.”
“You protected me.”
Rosa began crying.
“He thought you died because I told him you died.”
Gabriel took her hand.
“Why?”
“He would have followed.”
“Did Matteo help?”
“Yes.”
“Why was he declared dead?”
“To disappear.”
Gabriel leaned back.
“Where is he now?”
Rosa stared at him.
And suddenly Norah saw recognition sharpen.
“He's alive.”
Gabriel's eyes widened.
“Where?”
Rosa whispered a name.
“Bellhaven.”
Gabriel looked toward Jude.
Jude had returned quietly and stood near the doorway.
“Bellhaven?”
Jude's face went pale.
Norah noticed.
“You know it.”
Jude hesitated.
Gabriel stood.
“What is Bellhaven?”
Jude sighed.
“A town three hours north.”
Gabriel grabbed his jacket.
Norah immediately said, “You're not leaving.”
He stared at her.
“Excuse me?”
“Your mother just had a serious episode.”
“I have people here.”
“She doesn't want people.”
Norah pointed toward Rosa.
“She wants you.”
Gabriel's frustration appeared instantly.
“I may finally have a chance to find the man who saved my life.”
“And if Rosa deteriorates while you're gone?”
Silence.
Norah hated herself for saying it.
But Gabriel needed to hear it.
The conflict tore visibly across his face.
Rosa solved it.
“Go.”
Gabriel looked toward her.
“Ma.”
“Find Matteo.”
Her voice was weak.
“But come home.”
Gabriel knelt.
“I always come home.”
Rosa smiled.
Norah wondered whether either of them realized how much those words sounded like a promise.
Two hours later Gabriel left for Bellhaven.
Norah remained with Rosa.
The afternoon was peaceful.
At sunset Rosa began humming.
Norah recognized the melody.
The same tune Rosa always hummed before confused episodes.
“That's beautiful.”
“My husband hated it.”
“Antonio?”
Rosa shook her head.
Norah froze.
“Your husband wasn't Antonio?”
Rosa looked at her.
Clear-eyed.
Almost amused.
“Antonio was never my husband.”
Norah's pulse quickened.
“But Gabriel believes—”
“I know what Gabriel believes.”
Rosa reached beneath her pillow.
Her hand emerged holding a thin gold chain.
A small locket hung from it.
She pressed it into Norah's palm.
Inside was a photograph.
Rosa.
Much younger.
Standing beside Matteo.
Holding a newborn baby.
Norah stared.
Rosa whispered:
“Gabriel isn't Antonio's son.”
May you like
And three hours away, Gabriel Gallow was driving straight toward the man who might be his real father.
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